Greetings from the New Superintendent
July, 2008

Dear Students, Parents and Community Members:

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself, give you an idea of who I am and invite you to visit.

I moved into my new office on June 16th and began my official duties on July 1st. I am honored and excited to serve the New Prague Area Public Schools as your Superintendent. Everything I have learned, before and after I accepted the position, leads me to believe that we have some great times ahead. As I familiarize myself with my new professional home interacting on a daily basis with my colleagues, I have been impressed by the district's commitment to learning and the value placed on an exemplary educational experience for all our students. I believe we can build on the success that is here and become even better.

My educational career spans 30 years, beginning with one year in St. Cloud and Bloomington, before moving to Independent School District #196 in Rosemount in 1979. I taught at Rosemount High School for seven years, and, for the past twenty-two years I have served in a variety of administrative capacities in Rosemount and Lakeville school districts, My Bachelor's degree was earned at Gustavus Adolphus College, my Master's degree from the University of Minnesota, and my specialist degree and Superintendent's license at St. Thomas University. I have a wonderful family and have been married to my wife, Vicky, for 28 years. We have three sons, Bill – 24, Tom – 22 and Jon – 20. I love my family and they are all very special to me.

What you really need to know about me is that I love kids. I believe that we are in a people business and we need to care about students first. Our work is vital and unequaled in importance. Consequently, we will maintain high expectations for all employees who work in the New Prague Schools as we provide our children with an outstanding education. We are preparing our students for life in the 21st century in a fast moving information age, so we must deliver quality instruction to them on a daily basis.

My enthusiasm for my new position and our district's future excites me a great deal. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by and introduce yourself. I am looking forward to working with the students, staff and community. Thank you in advance for entrusting us with your children. We take their education seriously and recognize that a partnership with families is essential. Enjoy the rest of the summer and I look forward to seeing you back in the fall.

Sincerely

Craig W. Menozzi
Superintendent of Schools